Neil Heimsoth’s 15 years in the beverage industry include managing and directing cocktail capitals like The Bookstore Speakeasy and Notch Modern Kitchen & Bar. Now he’s taking to the open air with Bar H, a mobile bar backed by his family’s farmette. Become your own best bartender with his wisdom on concocting superb summer cocktails.
The Sway of the Season
The warm months invite us to rediscover freshness in cocktails. Whereas we turned to booze-forward old fashioneds to warm us in winter, toasting drinks decked in baking spices, it’s time to whip out the sharp herbs and tart berries. With plant life in its prime, Heimsoth says “it’s time to create those lighter, more aromatic twists on classics. Enjoy the bounty of summer.”
Foolproof Flavors
There are some flavors that have always made a perfect pair. “One surefire combination is blueberry and basil,” Heimsoth says. “Strawberry rhubarb. Mint and lemon, mint and lime—mint and anything.”
Herbal notes are having a moment, too. Lavender and, once again, mint, for example, make for a fresh and aromatic julep. Chamomile and elderflower are also elements contending to be part of a summery elixir.
As for the Alcohol
“In a restaurant, you try to always use every one on a menu,” Heimsoth remarks. From oaky bourbon to bright London gin, there’s a place for any preference, whatever the season. However, gin’s botanical, floral flavor shines in summer with citrus. Tequila makes for a variety of magical margaritas, and rum in daiquiris is a classic. “Tiki drinks with tropical juices and rum are coming back into style,” he adds.
Or Not
If you abstain, don’t think you have to forgo fancy drinks.
“The issue [with non-alcoholic drinks] is the volume,” Heimsoth says. “You may have lemon, lavender, honey—what plays the part of the two ounces of gin?” He’s partial to herbal teas and tisanes to create a base for the drink, which then brings to the table properties like stress relief, calm or energy.
Another option is the distilled non-alcoholic spirits that have been flowing into the market, like Seedlip’s flavorful infusions.
Garnish with Intention
Heimsoth has a bit of a bone to pick with what he calls “Instagram bartending,” which is all for show. “Garnishes should be more functional than pretty,” he says, lamenting the dehydration of perfectly good citrus.
Fresh berries look beautiful in a glass and provide a light future snack. Flowers, dried lavender and herb sprigs add color and also aromatics. “We taste a lot with our noses,” he points out.
See for yourself: take three glasses of the same cocktail and try each with a lemon, orange or grapefruit twist on the edge. They’re not the same drink.
Ice Expertise
One of Heimsoth’s expert tips to the home bartender is to know when to shake and when to stir. “Subtle things like this are why drinks taste different in a restaurant.” If you want a next-level nightcap, invest in a stirring glass and spoon.
Your mission is to get the drink to the right temperature without letting the ice over-dilute it and dull the flavor. Martinis are stirred slowly to chill the liquor without watering it down, while shaking is advisable for ingredients that need to be aerated to open their flavor, like citrus.
Liquor Lexicon
You can expand the way you think about what to drink and when with a little vocabulary. The aperitif, a pre-meal or appetizer drink, tends to be on the light herbal and citrus side, and is meant to ready the palate and belly for a meal. A boom in flavored tonics like Q and Fever-Tree makes it easy to mix up your own White Claw-esque refresher.
Afterward, the digestif helps break your dinner down. Think old guys retiring to the smoking room for brandy and cigars. Digestifs are dark, and can be made with medicinal-adjacent substances like cinchona bark, wormwood and angelica root. “Thinking it’s toxic, the body digests faster when it tastes something bitter,” Heimsoth explains.
Mixing for a Crowd
Scale up any cocktail for a backyard BBQ or beach-read book club with Heimsoth’s simple hack: Turning any ounces in the recipe into cups will easily keep your drink balanced.
Aperitiki Tom Collins
Heimsoth’s spotlight recipe combines the botanical aperitif with the layered fruit-forward Tiki tradition. “You can get fun with it as well and infuse the Campari with pineapple. Or substitute white rum and lime for a subtle Jungle Bird riff,” Heimsoth says. “The possibilities are broad and delicious.”
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Plymouth Gin
½ oz. Campari
½ oz. lemon juice
¾ oz. pineapple juice
¼ oz. simple syrup
Splash of club soda
Directions
Shake vigorously, strain into a Collins or hurricane glass with ice and garnish with a pineapple wedge or frond.
Published as “Ask the Expert” in the July 2023 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
